Generosity

Today when I got home the postie had left me a nice surprise:

This was a prize in a blog giveaway.  The Gum Tree Designers group celebrated their first birthday this month with seven giveaways, and I was a lucky winner.  What a generous gift I received from Jenny of Elefantz!  It includes three of her own patterns, a metre of Rosalie Quinlan's 'Grandmother's Flower Garden' fabric, a cute owl panel from Saffron Craig, a ceramic owl button from Giggle Buttons, a hand-painted wood hollyhock button from Theodora Cleave, and a skein of hand-dyed thread from Cottage Garden Threads, all beautifully gift-wrapped and tied up with ribbon. Wow!  Thank you, Jenny.

Now I must confess,this is not the first blog giveaway I've won.  Back in January 2009, TrueUp hosted an Amy Butler pattern giveaway, and I was one of the lucky winners.  Which reminds me, I haven't made that bag yet.

And then in September 2009, Sewjourn celebrated their first birthday with a giveaway of a day there sewing.  I was one of the lucky winners, and had a wonderful sewing day in January.

So on top of all the other gifts I received lately (Kobo, bag pattern, cuttings), I'm feeling overwhelmed by others' generosity!

Kiss Testing

I'm testing a new pattern for Nicole Mallalieu, the Kiss Purse. That's exciting, but it is also challenging because it involves a few things I've never done before. Today's challenge was purse feet:

Phew!  That worked.  However, not everything went smoothly.  I managed to cut a piece of fabric that I shouldn't have, so I don't have a big enough piece left for the handle.  I guess it's an opportunity for creativity...

Gift from a Neighbour

Back in June I saw the Luculia pinceana at the Botanic Gardens in Hobart, and decided I wanted one.

When I got back to Melbourne, I discovered that a neighbour had a luculia in his front yard. I don't know if his is the pinceana or the similar gratissima. He told me he would prune it when it finished flowering, and offered to give me some cuttings.

Today I found this on my front verandah:

Thank you, neighbour!

Day Out

Took a trip to Mt Macedon for the Plant Lovers' Market.
 

Lots of interesting plants for sale, but no vireyas that I could find.  I did buy some Dragon's Eye, Ginny Mitchell and Huckleberry Candy daylilies.

Going, Going ...

I've mentioned before that I wish I knew when demolitions were going to happen, so that I could grab plants or take cuttings from the garden before the whole thing was flattened.

Maybe not, this time.  A couple of years ago the people in this house turned their front garden into a "beach"; no plants but that plastic palm tree, and the ground covered with sand.  Quirky, yes, but no thanks. Since then all that's grown is weeds through the sand.  Today everything went.

Medication

Sometimes only this works:

R.O.W.

After walking to my new job a few times, I'm finding the best route to avoid traffic. This set of right-of-ways takes me away from the noisiest road for three blocks.

The surface is a bit uneven, but there is no traffic noise. I like that! In the distance the sun sets behind a large gum tree. When does daylight saving start?